EMILY HAMILTON MLA SUPPORTS WEST PERTH WOMEN'S TEAM

Friday, May 19, 2017 - 5:39 PM

THE West Perth Football Club's Female Football program was promised support by the Labor Government in the lead up to the recent State election with Emily Hamilton MLA ensuring delivery of that guarantee.

The West Perth Football Club has welcomed the previous Joondalup Falcons senior, reserves and youth female football teams into the club for the first time in 2017 in an exciting move for the future of the Falcons.

With the redevelopment at HBF Arena for the West Perth Football Club to be completed by the end of the year, the Falcons will be able to provide all the facilities required by the male and female football programs alike with the future looking tremendously bright.

It has been an exciting initiative in 2017 to welcome the female teams into the West Perth Football Club but it is one that continues to make the Falcons a community leader in the northern corridor, including Joondalup.

As the Labor candidate for Joondalup in the recent State election, Ms Hamilton pledged her support to the new West Perth female football program.

And now upon winning the seat and earning her place in the State parliament, Ms Hamilton has kept to her word helping in the desperate need to outfit all the female players involved in the Falcons program.

Ms Hamilton pledged her support via the Local Projects, Local Jobs initiative which provides money to local community organisations in Joondalup to build local infrastructure, support programs and deliver local jobs.

The fund empowers community organisations and local councils to deliver projects that could have been financially out-of-reach.

With the massive interest and increase in Female Football following the successful AFL Women's inaugural season, numbers at the Falcons swelled from just over 80 to just under 150.

This growth meant the club was desperate to seek support for the purchase of new playing jumpers.

"Emily’s generosity will go a long way in helping us to further develop the integration of female players into the West Perth Football Club," West Perth Women's Football Club President Dave Burton said.

"Through Emily’s magnificent gesture of funding $6,750 towards much needed jumpers we were able to progress and outfit our girls ready for a successful 2017 season."

Quite simply, the West Perth Football Club would have had difficulty funding the Female Football program to get underway in 2017 and for the players to look the part running out onto HBF Arena or any other ground throughout the WA Women's Football League.

Ms Hamilton recently attended West Perth clash with Claremont at HBF Arena to see what the money she had helped provide went towards, and is delighted to have been able to offer some support.

"I really enjoyed watching the West Perth game recently and seeing the passionate and talented women of the Joondalup Women’s Football Club play a great game of football," Ms Hamilton said.

"I support and encourage women’s participation in sport at both a professional and community level. It’s great to see such a professional women’s team in the Falcons, based here in Joondalup."